Gripping slider type buckle with fastener member on slider



Dec. 15, 1953 w. l. .JON

GRIPPING SLIDER TYPE BUCKLE WITH FASTENER MEMBER ON SLIDER Filed Jan. 13, 1950 0296 60 9B aa 723 INVENToRi WALTER LJONES, BY Pm. PML

ATTORNEY.

Patented ec. l5, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRIPPING `SLIDER. TYPE BUCKLE WITH FASTENER yMEMBER ON SLIDER 3 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to buckles, and has particular reference to a buckle yassembly of the type having a slidable strap gripper element with means thereon for attaching the assembly to a supporting member.

Such buckles are commonly used where it is desirable to secure a strap to a supporting member in such a manner as to allow the `strap to be freely adjustable, and to this end, a buckle frame having strap-receiving openings is provided with a strap gripper element disposed on the frame in slidable relation thereto for engagement with an assembled strap, and means is provided on the slidable element for attaching the assembly to a supporting member. When a strap is assembled in the frame, and the slidable element is attached to a supporting member, tension on the strap pulling the frame in one direction will cause the buckle to move relative to the attached slidable element, thereby causing the gripper element to engage the strap and prevent slippage of the strap through the openings.

However, buckles of this type that have been heretofore known have been subject to a number of disadvantages. It has been found that in many cases relatively sharp teeth must be provided on either the gripper element or around the edges of the opening on the frame to provide the necessary strap-gripping action. Such teeth tend to pierce or tear the cloth of the 'strap during engagement therewith, and greatly reduce the life of the garment on which the buckle is used. It has also been found that the engaging eifectiveness of the gripper element is greatly affected by both the thickness and the surface texture of the strap. For this reason it has been necessary to provide buckles of various sizes and shapes for use on different types of straps, and the features of a buckle'whch enable it to satisfactorily engage a particular strap cannot be predicted, but must be found by experimentation.

The object of this invention is to provide a buckle assembly of the above described type which is adapted to securely engage straps having a wide variation in thickness and surface texture.

A further object of the invention is to provide a buckle assembly in which a buckle frame having strap-receiving openings in the ends to enable a strap to be assembled across one face thereof is provided with a slidable strap gripper element disposed on `the opposite face.

A still further object of the invention is to provide la buckle assembly as described 'above in which a -portion of the buckle frame is disposed in alignment with the slidable gripper element to engage the strap therebetween.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a buckle having a buckle frame with strap-receiving openings, and a slidable strapgripper element disposed thereon, in which the kstrap-'gripper element is adapted to pass into the strap-receiving openings to securely engage a strap assembled in the frame.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious, and will, in part, appear hereinafter. For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a buckle assembly embodying the features of the invention, in which a portion of the buckle frame beyond the strapreceiving openings is offset from the plane of the buckle for purposes hereinafter described;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation, partly in section, of the buckle assembly of Fig. 1 attached to a supporting member;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of buckle assembly, in which the frame of the buckle is curved for purposes hereinafter described;

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation, partly in section, of the buckle assembly of Fig. 3 attached to a supporting member;

Fig. 5 is a plan View of a buckle assembly in which the gripper element is tiltable on the frame for purposes hereinafter described;

Fig. 6 is a view in elevation, partly in section. of the buckle assembly of Fig. 5 attached to a supporting sheet;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a buckle assembly in which the gripper element is adapted to pass into the strap-receiving openings in the frame; and

Fig. 8 is a View in elevation, partly in section, of the buckle member of Fig. '7.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, there is illustrated a buckle assembly l0 which is adapted to adjustably engage a strap l2, and to be attached to a supporting member lll.

The buckle assembly i@ comprises a buckle frame IS and a slider member I8 which are assembled so as to allow relative movement of the slider and the frame in a direction longitudinally of an assembled strap. The buckle frame I6 is provided with transverse strap-receiving openings 28 and 2| at the ends thereof, and an intermediate longitudinal slot 2'2. The cross bar portions 24 and 25 of the buckle beyond the strapreceiving openings, which form the outer edges 26 and 21 of the strap-receiving slots, are offset downwardly from the plane of the buckle by inclined connecting portions 28 and 29 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The slider member I3 comprises a gripper element 3G, which has an eyelet 32 disposed on one side thereof which is assembled in the longitudinal slot 22, and means on the other side for attachment to the supporting member I2. In the illustrated embodiment said attaching member is provided by a stud 34 which may be formed of the metal of the gripper element 36), for engagement with a cooperating socket member 3S on the supporting member Iii. The eyelet 32 is so assembled in the slot 22 as to allow free movement of the slider relative to the frame, whereby the gripper element 3i! is able to at least partially obstruct the strap-receiving openings 2l) and EI at opposite extreme limits of its longitudinal movement. The inclined connecting portions 23 and E9 oset the cross bar portions 24 and from the plane of the base a sufficient distance to cause the edges 36 and 21 to be disposed in alignment with the direction of movement of the gripper element to enable the assembly to securely engage the strap as will be hereinaiter described.

The operation of the device is illustra-ted in Fig. 2, in which the buckle assembly is attached to the supporting member I4. The strap I2 is assembled on the frame I5 so as to pass over the upper surface thereof and down at each end through the strap-receiving openings 2! and 2l. Tension applied to the attached buckle in the direction o the arrows causes the buckle frame to tend to move to the right, and since the slider is attached-to the supporting member and cannot move, the gripper element and the edge 2G of the cross bar Ell are forced directly together to engage the strap therebetween and prevent slippage of the strap through the buckle frame.

Referring to Figs. 3 and Ll, there is illustrated a buckle assembly d having certain modifica-` tions within the scope of the invention. The assembly 4S comprises a buckle frame 42 and a slider :it assembled thereon so as to allow relative movement of the slider and the frame as hereinbeore described. The frame l2 is provided with strap-receiving slots t5 and Il at the ends thereof and an intermediate slot @8. The slider :l5: comprises a strap-gripper element te having an eyelet 52 disposed on one side thereof which is assembled in the slot Si and a stud 5t on the other side for engagement with the socket on the supporting member l2. The frame 42 is longitudinally curved throughout its length so that the cross bar portions 55 and 51 beyond the strap-receiving openings are lower than the center portion of the buckle, so that the edges and 53 formed by the cross bar portions are disposed in alignment with the direction of movement of the gripper element Eil to engage an assembled strap therebetween. Fig. e illustrates the buckle assembly attached to a supporting member', and the operation of the device when subjected to tension in the direction indicated by the arrows is similar to that described hereinbefore in connection with the device of Figs. l and 2.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, there is illustrated a buckle assembly Si! which comprises a flat frame 62 having strap-receiving slots '64 and 55 at the ends thereof and an intermediate slot 66, and a slider member 58 which is loosely and tiltably assembled thereon to facilitate the strapengaging action which will be hereinafter described. The slider member E8 comprises a concave-convex gripper element 10 having an eyelet 12 assembled on the concave side thereof and disposed in the slot E8 and a stud member 1d disposed on the convex side for attachment to a socket 36 on the supporting member. In this embodiment the space between the eyelet and the gripper element is appreciably greater than the thickness of the frame 62, to permit the tilting action of the slider. Referring to Fig. 6, where the assembled buckle is shown attached to the supporting member I4, it is seen that when tension is applied to the device in the direction of the arrows, the pull of the socket 36 on the stud causes the gripper element to tilt upwardly toward the outer edge 15 of the opening Gli, so that the strap is securely enga-ged between the gripper element and the cross bar lf3.

Referring now to Figs. '7 and 8, there is illustrated a buckle assembly 81') which is particularly adapted or engaging straps of thin and flexible material. The assembly 8E! comprises a buckle frame 82 and a slider member 80.- which are assembled so as to allow relative movement of the slider in the frame longitudinally with the assembled strap. The buckle 82 is provided with transfer strap-receiving openings 86 and 8l at the ends thereof and an intermediate longitudinal slot 88. The cross bar portions 9d and 9i of the buckle beyond the strap-receiving openings which form the outer edges 92 and 93 of the strap-receiving slots are offset downwardly from the plane of the buckle by inclined connecting portions Sil and 9. The slider 84 com prises a gripper element 95 having an eyelet 98 disposed on one side thereof and assembled in the slot 83 and a stud Il disposed on the other side for engagement with the coopera-ting socket member t on the sup-porting member Ill. The eyelet 98 is so assembled in the slot 83 as to allow free movement of the slider relative to the frame 82 longitudinally or an assembled strap. In this embodiment the cross bars 9G and QI are offset downwardly from the plane of the frame 82 a suhlcient distance to allow the gripper element e?, at the opposite extreme limits of the longitudinal movement of the slider, to pass at least part way into the openings 8f3 and 81. The operation of the device is illustrated in Fig. 8 where it is seen that tension applied to the attached buckle in the direction of the arrows causes the buckle frame 82 to tend to move to the right, and since the slider is attached to the supporting member and cannot move, the gripper element 96 passes into the opening 86 to engage the assembled strap I2 and thereby creates a reverse bend portion lib-2 therein, to prevent slippage of the strap through the buckle frame.

In all illustrated embodiments of the invention, the strap gripper element is disposed on the side of the buckle frame opposite to the side over which the strap passes. Consequently, when tension is applied to the assembled device to cause the gripper element to engage the strap, the edge of the gripper element tends to move upwardly against the frame, which provides support to prevent deformation or damage of the gripper element. However, the features of the device relating to the abutting action of the gripper element with a portion of the buckle beyond the strap-receiving openings, and the features of the embodiment of Figs. 7 and 8 are not limited to buckles which have the gripper element on the side opposite the side across which the strap is to be assembled.

Although the illustrated embodiments of the invention have a gripper element with a serrated periphery, in many cases this is essential or desirable, since gripper element With an edge which is knurled or roughened Will be suitable for most applications, and in many cases a smooth gripper element is completely satisfactory.

Since certain other obvious modifications of the device may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained herein be interpreted in an i1- lustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A buckle assembly comprising a strap-receiving frame member having a transverse strapreoeiving slot adjacent each end thereof and a medial body portion between said slots, said medial portion being provided with a longitudinal elongated slot, a slider member positioned in said longitudinal slotl for longitudinal movement therein, said slider member comprising connecting means mounted in said longitudinal slot, one side of said connecting mea-ns secured to a clamping element having a circumferentially-serrated planar strap-clamping, disk-like base larger than the slot Width disposed immediately adjacent one face of said frame member and a gripper centrally formed with and extending outwardly from said base portion at right angles thereto on the same side of said frame member, the opposite side of said connecting means secured to a disklike holding element larger than the slot Width disposed immediately adjacent to the opposite face of said frame member, the medial portion of the frame member being planar and the outermost edge of each of the strap-receiving slots being disposed in a plane spaced from the plane of the medial portion of the frame member in the direction or" the clamping element, said slider member being slidable on the frame member to move said serrated disk into one of the strapreceiving slots to engage and grip a strap disposed therein.

2. A buckle assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the ends of the frame member are offset downwardly.

3. A buckle assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the frame member is bowed longitudinally.

WALTER I. JONES.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

